-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- We arrived in Mali 's capital city , Bamako , on January 22 , a four-person emergency assessment team rapidly deployed by International Medical Corps . With violence raging throughout the country as French and Malian forces fought to take back control of areas seized by Islamist rebels earlier this month , we had no time to waste .

Fighting had already displaced more than 10,000 people by the time we arrived -LRB- an estimated 25,000 to date -RRB- , adding to the more than 460,000 Malians who fled their homes because of violence in 2012 . Even before January 10 , more than 2 million Malians were at risk of food insecurity and an estimated 1.5 million at risk of epidemics , according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs .

In this dire humanitarian and volatile security context , we immediately began advancing north to reach areas affected by the latest conflict and assess the most urgent humanitarian needs on the ground .

Mali , particularly the northern part of the country , poses enormous challenges for organizations seeking to help those who need it . Humanitarian access is extremely limited , making the presence of relief and aid agencies very sparse , despite vast need . We have faced tremendous challenges traveling through conflict-affected areas : strict military checkpoints , impassable roads and rivers , unpredictable security dynamics , and , worst of all , the ever-present possibility of scattered Islamist rebels along the route . But we 're working together with local authorities , U.N. agencies and nongovernmental organization partners to gain access to previously unreachable areas and ensure that critical health and nutrition needs are being met .

On January 28 , local authorities granted our team access to the town of Konna to conduct the first humanitarian assessment there . We had only four hours to get in and out . Konna was the first town captured when armed Islamist rebels who control northern Mali began aggressively moving south on January 10 , triggering French military intervention . Beginning with airstrikes on January 11 , French and Malian military forces fought intensely against the Islamist rebels in Konna for more than a week , forcing many of the town 's residents to flee their homes .

French and Malian forces retook Konna from the rebels on January 18 . Most of the town 's residents had returned by the time we were allowed in to assess critical needs , and life was beginning to return to normal . But there were still many signs of the conflict . The road leading into the town was littered with burned-out pickup trucks and shrapnel . We even found an unexploded bomb in one home we visited , quickly warning the family of 17 to stay clear before reporting the bomb to the French military to be rendered safe . Similar threats of unexploded ordinances and remnants of Islamist rebels will persist throughout Mali , even as military operations begin to wind down .

We met with community leaders to discuss Konna 's most urgent needs , involving all sectors of the community , including the mayor , women 's groups , local health associations and youth groups . We also visited homes to see firsthand the household-level impact of the conflict . Hunger and food insecurity are major concerns in Konna and throughout Mali . Konna 's market was closed for a month because of instability in the region , cutting off access to food and compromising many people 's livelihoods . The town 's school remains closed , but health and nutrition services have started reopening with the support of local NGOs .

We 're now on our way to Timbuktu , which was just retaken by French and Malian troops . Timbuktu is one of the three northern regions controlled by Islamist rebel groups since an April 2012 coup that effectively split Mali into two . Thousands of displaced families are expected to be returning home in the coming days , likely overwhelming critical services that have been weakened since being cut off from the world 10 months ago . We 've heard reports that the rebels looted health clinics , damaging and even destroying some . Many doctors and nurses have fled south or across the border to Mauritania , leaving limited support for the local population .

As soon as we gain access to Timbuktu , we 'll conduct rapid assessments of its health facilities to determine the most pressing needs before initiating emergency response activities to provide staff , equipment and medication . We 'll also assess the town 's nutrition and water needs , sharing our findings with U.N. agencies and NGO partners to facilitate a coordinated humanitarian response .

After Timbuktu , we 'll continue north , heading deep into formerly rebel-held territoryâ $ '' areas NGOs have been cut off from for monthsâ $ '' to reach those most in need . To help us help the estimated 4.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Mali , donate to our emergency response fund . Stay updated on our Mali emergency assessments and responses by visiting our Mali page .

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Violence has displaced hundreds of thousands Malians

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Mat Jacob is a member of an International Medical Corps team providing aid to the region

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Conflict in the region has made it difficult for relief groups reach those in need

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Many doctors and nurses have fled Timbuktu leaving critical health services weakened